Key Facts
- Hangul: 가운데; Revised Romanization: gaunde
- Part of speech: noun (location word)
- Origin: Native Korean (no hanja)
- Register: Neutral, everyday word used in both spoken and written Korean.
Middle in Korean: What Does 가운데 Mean?
가운데 is the middle or center of a space. It is a neutral word used in speech and writing. The pattern 가운데에 means "in the middle", and 공원 가운데 is the middle of a park.
It has a second use: "among". In 세 사람 가운데 누가 선생님이에요?, 가운데 picks one person out of three. The middle finger is 가운뎃손가락, and "among them" is 그 가운데.
How Do You Pronounce It?
가운데 has three syllables: ga-un-de. The middle syllable ends in n, and the last syllable is ㄷ plus ㅔ, which sounds like "de" in "debt".
Say the three beats evenly. The romanization gaunde runs them together, but the word is three clear syllables.
Listen to the headword here.
Example Sentences with 가운데
가운데에 앉으세요.
Gaundee anjeuseyo.
Please sit in the middle.
앉으세요 is an honorific request, "please sit". The word 가운데에 points to the seat in the center.
공원 가운데에 큰 나무가 있어요.
Gongwon gaundee keun namuga isseoyo.
There is a big tree in the middle of the park.
큰 나무 is a big tree, and 있어요 says it exists there. The sentence places the tree at the center of the park.
세 사람 가운데 누가 선생님이에요?
Se saram gaunde nuga seonsaengnimieyo?
Which of the three people is the teacher?
세 사람 means three people, and 누가 asks who. This is the "among" use, so 가운데 chooses from a group.
Common Phrases and Collocations
Three phrases cover place, body and a group.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 가운데에 | in the middle |
| 가운뎃손가락 | middle finger |
| 그 가운데 | among them |
The Mistake to Avoid
- Wrong: Assuming every English “between” must be 가운데.
- Correct: Use 사이 for the gap or interval between two things. 가운데 focuses on a central position and can also mean “among”.
가운데 can describe a position between two sides, so there is some overlap. The National Institute of Korean Language’s learner dictionary includes this central-position sense. Choose 사이 when you mean the separating space, and 가운데 when the center is the point.
가운데 Compared with 중간 and 사이
Two other words overlap with 가운데 in English translations of "middle".
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 가운데 | middle, center | The center of a space, or among many. |
| 중간 | middle, halfway | The midpoint in time or sequence. |
| 사이 | between | The space between two things. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
가운데 is a native Korean word, so there is no hanja. It is a position noun like the words for above and below, and grammar treats it that way.
Choosing Seats for a Group Photo
A photographer arranges one person in a chair while the rest of the group stands nearby. 가운데 points to the center of the composition.
Photographer
가운데에 앉으세요.
Gaundee anjeuseyo.
Please sit in the middle.
Jisu
이 의자요?
I uijayo?
This chair?
Photographer
네. 조금만 오른쪽으로 가세요.
Ne. Jogeumman oreunjjogeuro gaseyo.
Yes. Move just a little to the right.
Jisu
여기 괜찮아요?
Yeogi gwaenchanayo?
Is here okay?
The photographer starts with the general position, then adjusts it with 오른쪽으로, “to the right”. 가운데에 names the destination or place; 오른쪽으로 gives the direction of the small movement. The same combination is useful when arranging chairs, placing a decoration or helping someone stand in the right spot.
How Do You Place 가운데 in a Location Phrase?
Put the larger space before 가운데: 방 가운데 is the middle of a room, and 식탁 가운데 is the middle of a dining table. Add 에 when stating where something is. The order runs from the space to the more precise position, so English “the middle of the room” becomes room + middle in Korean.
가운데 자리 means a seat in the middle. Here 가운데 describes which seat without 에. A seat between a window seat and an aisle seat can be a 가운데 자리. The word gives a relative position; it does not promise a mathematically exact measurement of the center.
가운데에 and 가운데에서 serve different sentence patterns. 에 commonly marks where something is or where someone moves to sit. 에서 marks the place where an activity happens. Keep the location noun 가운데 and choose the particle to match the sentence, rather than treating 가운데에 as one indivisible word.
When Does 가운데 Mean “Among”?
A group before 가운데 can provide a set to choose from. 세 사람 가운데 means “among three people”, so the earlier question asks which member is the teacher. It does not necessarily ask who is physically standing between the other two people. 누가, “who”, and the surrounding situation help you recognise the selection meaning.
그 가운데 can mean “among them” after a group has already been mentioned. For example, a speaker might mention several books and then pick a favourite from that set. No person or object needs to occupy the central position in a row. This use is about membership in a group rather than physical coordinates.
Position Words to Use beside 가운데
| Korean | Meaning | Useful note |
|---|---|---|
| 왼쪽 | left side | Gives a position to one side of the center. |
| 오른쪽 | right side | Useful for the small adjustment in the photo dialogue. |
| 양쪽 | both sides | Helps describe the areas on either side of something. |
| 가장자리 | edge | The outer part, rather than the center. |
The directions and position lesson teaches this set. If someone cannot find an object, naming the larger surface first and then 가운데 gives them a smaller area to search. Use 사이 when the gap or interval between named things is the main point.
Quick Self-Test
- In 방 가운데, which word names the larger space?
- Does 세 사람 가운데 always identify the person standing in the central position?
- Which word means the edge: 가운데 or 가장자리?
Show answers
- 방 means the room; 가운데 narrows the location to its middle.
- No. It can mean “among three people”, selecting a member of the group.
- 가장자리 means the edge.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say middle in Korean?
Say 가운데 (gaunde).
How do you say "in the middle"?
Say 가운데에.
What is the difference between 가운데 and 중간?
가운데 is the center of a space. 중간 can mean the midpoint in time or sequence.
How do you say "middle finger"?
Say 가운뎃손가락, written as one word.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: directions and position vocabulary. 가운데 is on the directions and position vocabulary list.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 가운데 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next: the word for nearby. The next position word is the one for nearby.
- Compare: 사이. Compare it with 사이, the word for between.